Few North American landmarks are as identifiable as the Grand Tetons, which tower proudly over Jackson Hole, Wyoming. That famous set of snowy peaks, aligned in seemingly a perfect row and viewable around much of the city, is the subject of numerous works of art available to bidders September 14 at the Jackson Hole Art Auction.
Bob Kuhn (1920-2007), Distant Sounds, 2006, acrylic on board, 255/8 x 30 in. Estimate: $180/250,000One could almost argue that the Tetons are a mascot for the sale, but then a case could also be made for many others, too: bear, moose, elk, wolves and many other animal subjects. Wildlife appears frequently amid the lots, and also represents Jackson Hole’s proximity to wilderness and nature. “Wildlife is a perennial favorite at the Jackson Hole Art Auction, and that is certainly the case this year,” says Kevin Doyle, managing director of the Wyoming auction house. “There is a lot of great material on the market and we’re feeling very confident in our sale. We’ve had great consignors to work with, and we follow that old adage that if the estimate is set properly, it will always get the best value for the seller.”
Bob Kuhn (1920-2007), They Don’t Eat Post Toasties, 2005, acrylic on panel, 157/8 x 20 in. Estimate: $60/90,000Doyle says the sale will feature around 340 lots, with many categories represented, including cowboy and cattle, Old West scenes with historic subjects and Natives Americans, Western still life, figurative, and wildlife and landscapes—including those popular views of the Grand Teton Mountain Range.
“Two exceptional examples of the Tetons are works by Ansel Adams and Conrad Schwiering. What’s special about these pieces is that they were conceived at almost the same vantage point,” says Doyle. “The Adams photograph was taken in 1942, while the Schwiering painting originates in 1962. You can see from each of the works that the view is identical. The Adams image is very special because it came out of the Elton John collection after it was sold a number of years ago. Elton John has a great eye and this print is really top-notch in quality. [Photographer] Harrison Crandall took Adams to that spot and later developed the image in Crandall’s house in Moose, Wyoming, which adds to some of its great story.” The Adams image is estimated at $100,000 to $150,000, while the Schwiering is estimated at $30,000 to $50,000.
Carl Rungius (1869-1959), The Challenge, oil on canvas, 30 3/8 x 46 3/8 in. Estimate: $250/350,000Another Teton image is Mark Maggiori’s Wyoming Spring, a vividly colored image of a horse and rider framed within the mountain range that fills the background. The work is estimated at $80,000 to $100,000.
In the category of wildlife, the sale will feature 19 works by Bob Kuhn, a regular at the annual sale. Noteworthy pieces include Distant Sounds, a late-period 2006 painting with a pair of wolves estimated at $180,000 to $250,000; the humorously titled They Don’t Eat Post Toasties, another late work from 2005, estimated at $60,000 to $90,000; and Three Big Rams, which was used as the frontispiece for the 1989 book The Art of Bob Kuhn, estimated at $75,000 to $100,000. “We have a terrific collection of Kuhn material, everything from oil paintings to drawings and sketches from early in his career,” Doyle says. “We also have Outdoor Life illustrations with original Outdoor Life magazines to go with them. Lots of great material from this master.”
Théodore-Charles Gruyère (1813-1885), Seated Indian, 1845, marble, 43¼ x 28 x 35 in. Estimate: $400/600,000Other wildlife works include Carl Brenders’ High Adventure – Black Bear Cubs (est. $50/75,000), Tucker Smith’s moose painting Morning Fog Study (est. $15/25,000), Gerald Balciar’s marble Canyon King (est. $50/75,000), Henry Shrady’s rare bronze Bull Moose from 1900 (est. $60/90,000) and Carl Rungius’ The Challenge (est. $250/350,000) that will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné on the artist.
Ansel Adams (1902-1984), The Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, 1942, gelatin silver print, printed 1970s, 15 x 18¾ in. Estimate: $100/150,000
Gerard Curtis Delano (1890-1972), Colorado, oil on canvas, 30 x 36 in. Estimate: $150/250,000
G. Harvey (1933-2017), (Stonewall) Jackson’s Winter Campaign, oil on canvas, 36 x 50 in. Estimate: $125/175,000
One important highlight that will be new for many Western collectors is Théodore-Charles Gruyère’s Seated Indian, a marble work from 1845. Estimated at $400,000 to $600,000 and nearly lifesized, the piece is an exceptional example from the French sculptor.
“When I started my career at Sotheby’s in July of 2000, this sculpture sold in the American art auction that November. When it was sold, the winning bidders had it shipped to the Whitney Western Art Museum, where it remained on loan from 2001 to 2006, and then it went to their home where it sat for the last 18 years,” Doyle says. “It’s a museum-quality piece and it’s exquisite. The more time you spend in front of it the more impressive it gets. And I’m so excited to see it again after all these years.”
Conrad Schwiering (1916-1986), Tapestry of Time, 1962, oil on panel, 48 x 48 in. Estimate: $30/50,000
Doyle adds that Gruyère likely never visited the United States, but he was interested in American subjects, including Native Americans. His work can be seen all around France, including on the façade of the Louvre and the Palais Garnier, Paris’ grand opera house. “He was a master at detail, which can be seen in the sculpture. The figure has wrinkles on his chin, there are arches in his feet and the braids in his hair are incredible,” Doyle says. “The piece is so good we are expecting global interest in it when it comes up.”
Jared Sanders, Winter Shadows, oil on canvas, 40 x 90 in. Estimate: $10/20,000
Martin Grelle, Winter Quest, 2000, oil on canvas, 42 x 52 in. Estimate: $150/250,000
Thomas Moran (1837-1926), A Deer in a Mountain Landscape, watercolor and pencil on paper mounted on board, 10 x 14 in. Estimate: $200/300,000
Two great mid-century masters will have important works in the sale: Charlie Dye, one of the founders of the Cowboy Artists of America, represented by Cheyenne Challenge, estimated at $30,000 to $50,000, and Gerard Curtis Delano will have Colorado, with estimates of $150,000 to $250,000. The Delano work features a dedication from the artist to writer and reporter Palmer Hoyt.
G. Harvey, who frequently performs strongly at auction, will have seven oils available, one of them being (Stonewall) Jackson’s Winter Campaign, a classic Harvey scene estimated at $125,000 to $175,000. Horses and riders also turn up prominently in Martin Grelle’s Winter Questfrom 2000, which is estimated at $150,000 to $250,000.
Ed Mell (1942-2024), Standing Orange Rocks, 1983, oil on canvas, 54 x 40 in. Estimate: $60/90,000
In the category of landscapes, the sale will be offering Thomas Moran’s watercolor and pencil piece A Deer in a Mountain Landscape (est. $200/300,000), James Reynolds’ On the Way to Jasper (est. $15/20,000), Clyde Aspevig’s magnificent lakeside painting Flathead Lake Bird Refuge (est. $25/45,000) and Ed Mell’s 1983 work Standing Orange Rocks (est. $60/90,000).
Mark Maggiori, Wyoming Spring, oil on board, 27 x 34 in. Estimate: $80/100,000
All lots will be available on September 14 at Jackson Hole’s Center for the Arts. Bidding will be held live, with online bidding available through the Jackson Hole Art Auction’s own bidding platform as well as Invaluable and LiveAuctioneers. —
Jackson Hole Art Auction
September 14, 2024, 12:30 p.m.
Jackson Center for the Arts
240 S. Glenwood Jackson, WY 83001
(866) 549-9278, www.jacksonholeartauction.com
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